Teen Tech Week: YA Characters on Polyvore

Published March 11, 2013

March 10 through 16 is Teen Tech Week! Teen Tech Week is a national initiative sponsored by YALSA. It encourages teens to be competent and ethical users of technologies, especially those that are offered through libraries such as DVDs, databases, audiobooks, and videogames. Teen Tech Week encourages teens to use libraries’ nonprint resources for education and recreation and to recognize that librarians are qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology.

I was thinking about how teens use social media to connect and collaborate, and my mind immediately jumped to Polyvore. A haven for fashionistas, Polyvore is a giant style community in which users can create virtual collages to showcase their sartorial savvy.

So, what if some of my favorite YA characters were on Polyvore? What kind of collages would they put together in their spare time? I mean, when they’re not fighting for their life or kissing cute boys, of course. Here are a few of my ideas.

Evie O’Neill from The Diviners by Libba Bray

Evie is a bright young thing who takes style seriously. She’s up-to-date and out to make a splash. She couldn’t be happier about being sent to stay with her uncle in New York City after causing a stir back home in Ohio with her unusual powers … but then a serial killer starts terrorizing the city with ritual murders. What’s a plucky psychic girl to do but jump on the case?

Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

Although Katniss isn’t likely to spend her time thinking about fashion, she might need something to take her mind off the tyranny of the Capitol. I picture Katniss channeling a little bit of her stylist, Cinna, for this Polyvore set. The girl on fire is edgy, youthful, and unconsciously gorgeous. Plus, let’s face it, she’s a little dangerous. She could definitely use those shoes as a weapon — you know, should the need arise.

Lola Nolan from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola will tell you, “I don’t believe in fashion. I believe in costume.” Flamboyant and fearless, Lola would make Polyvore her browser’s homepage and would undoubtedly gain thousands of followers — even as she’s slightly preoccupied with the sudden return of her former neighbor, an adorkable inventor boy who’s the cause of so many conflicting emotions for Lola.

Tessa Gray from The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare

The third Infernal Devices book, Clockwork Princess, hits bookshelves later this month, and as fans can see in the preview chapter on shadowhunters.com, shapeshifter Tessa is preparing for her wedding. Oh, what fun to plan a romantic, Victorian wedding! Tessa could undoubtedly spend hours considering the romantic, lacy possibilities. The gown pictured here is a creation of renowned designer Charles Frederick Worth, referred to in the chapter preview as the inspiration for Tessa’s gown. Could it be the one?

Verity from Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

A feisty Scottish girl known only as Verity has been captured by the Nazis in occupied France, and she’s being forced to write everything she knows about the British war effort. The clock is ticking, because when she finishes writing, she’s sure the Nazis will finish her — so she’s going to tell her story thoroughly. But if she had a laptop handy, I’m sure she’d trade a few sets of wireless code for the chance to further delay her writing and play on Polyvore. (What? They didn’t have laptops in the 1940s? Shh, don’t spoil the fun.)

I confess: after spending hours bringing some of my favorite YA characters to life on Polyvore, I am now a complete Polyvore addict. If you haven’t tried it yet, be prepared for a thoroughly absorbing experience. What characters would you want to represent in a Polyvore style collage?